Trousers-stretcher



' O. 189 12, N. u g. GARSTH-B'R ted Au J. K'Rs STREPatBn USB TRO l.) deMo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES K. GARSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,129, dated August12, 1890. Application filed December 20, 1889- Serial No. 334,385. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern: A

Beit known that I, JAMES K. GARSON, a citi- Yzen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Trousers-Stretcher; and I dohereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Heretofore trousers-stretchers have been constructed to apply a straightlongitudinal or a lateral strain on the fabric to remove the knee-print,which is caused by overstraining the front of the leg and crimping orwrinklin g the rear thereof, said straight longitudinal or lateralstrain producing` a straight trouser-leg. When trousers are finished andpressed by the tailor, they are given a curved form, the lower ends ofthe legs being curved forward to cause the same to iit the calf of thewearers leg snugly, the degree or abruptness of this curve beingdetermined by the shape of the wearers leg and by the prevailing style.After trousers are worn for a time the front sides of the legs becomestrained or stretched and the rear sides thereof become wrinkled,thereby giving the legs a rearward curve toward the bottom ora curve inthe reverse direction to that given by the tailor. Now, if a weight or astrainis applied to the opposite ends of the leg, the rear side will bestretched or strained more than the front side, and the leg willeventually become straight, and so if a stretcher consisting of twostraight bars is inserted in the leg and forced apart a lateral strainis put upon the fabric, which will cause the leg to become straight; butstraight trouser-legs do not fit the wearer as snugly as those which arecurved forwardly toward the bottoms.

Therefore the object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, andeffective device which will so stretch the legs of trousers as to returnthem to the form originally given them by the tailor, and thereby causethem to it the legs of the wearer snugly at all times.

The invention consists in a certain `novel construction and combinationof devices,

which are fully described hereinafter in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a trouser-leg as seen after it hasbeen worn and stretched in front to form a knee-print. Fig. 2illustrates the same as seen when finished by the tailor, and showing indotted lines the improved stretcher arranged therein in the operativeposition. Fig. 3 is a view of the stretcher removedfrom the trousers.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper end of the stretcher, showingthe means for adjusting the flexible band and the means for altering thecurvature of the forming-bar.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showingl different My improved stretcher isprovided with an elasticv or spring bar A, which is bent or curved toconform to the shape of the rear side of the leg of the trousers, asshown in Fig. 2, and is held in the desired position or shape by anadjusting rod, Wire, or cord B, which is connected at its ends toset-screws b b', located nearand screwed into the curved bar. Thus, theadjusting rod, wire, or cord forms the chord of the are formed by thebar, and by shortening the former the latter may be curved or bent to agreater degree, and by lengthening the former the latter is allowed tostraighten. In this way the curved bar may be arranged to fit snugly inthe reai'side of any trouser-leg.

In order to permit of the ready adjustment of the cord B, the upperset-screw b may be inserted in any of the perforations b b, which areformed in the bar A near its upper end. If desirable, the lowerset-screw b may also be adjustable, so as to enablethe cord to be takenup at both or either end. To-the upper and lowei` ends of this curvedbar are attached, respectively, the adjustable slides C D, the arms c clof the said slides being secured rigidly to the extremities of thecurved bar, While, the other arms c d thereof are slotted and slide onthe outer faces of the arms c d, respectively. Thumb-screws C D extendthrough the slots c d in the arms c d and screw into suitableperforations or IOO sockets in the arms c d, respectively, therebyenabling the independent arms of the slides to be clamped at any desiredextension. A flexible band, of webbing or any other suitable material,is affixed permanently at its lower end to the free end of thearm cl ofthe lower slide and the upper end of said band, which is shown in thedrawings at E, is adj ustably connected to the upper slide. Preferablythe upper end of the exible band is slotted longitudinally, as seen ate, this slot fitting over the upper thumb-screw C', and a yoke ortransverse clamping-bar F, which is carried by the "said thumb-screw,bears on the upper surface of the flexible band and presses it firmlyagainst the upper surface of the slide, whereby when the arms of theslide are clamped in the desired position the flexible band is alsoclamped. This means for securing the free end of the flexible band is.shown in Figs. 3 and 4; but in Fig. 5 is shown a somewhat simpler form,which consists, merely, iii-securing a buckle F to the arm e" of theslide and engaging the band therein.

I do not desire to limit myself to either of the above means offastening the free end of the flexible band, as any ordinary device bywhich the said band may be tightened can be used. Small triangularbraces G G are fitted in the angles between the ends of the' curved barand the stationary arms of the slides to prevent straining of thejoints.

From lthe above description it will be observed that the essentialfeatures of my improved stretcher are the curved bar, which fits snuglyin and conforms to the rear side of the leg of the trousers, and theflexible band, which bears with a firm but yielding force against thefront side of the said leg and holds the garment firmly in position onthe curved bar, the adjustable brace B, which may consist of a rod,wire, or cord, beinglengthened or shortened to give the proper curvatureto the bar A to fit the particular garment to which it is applied. Thecurved bar may, if the stretcher is only designed to be applied to a setof garments having the same curvature, be made of rigid or non-elasticmaterial; but it is preferably made of an elastic material*- such aswood, metal, or the likethereby adapting it `to be arranged at anydesired curvature.

To apply the improved stretcher to a garment, the thumb-screws C D areloosened, so as to reduce the length of the slides, and after the curvedbar is adjusted to the proper curvature the stretcher is placed in theleg of the trousers. The lower slide is extended to fit the lower end ofthe leg and is clamped 1n that position. The upper slide is similarlyextended to fit in the top of the leg, and the flexible band istightened sufficiently to draw the rear side of the leg firmly againstthe curved bar. In this position the flexible band exerts a constantstrain on the leg of the trousers, which stretches the rear side thereof`to compensate for the undue stretching which the front side receivedwhen in use. This stretching not only smooths out all wrinkles in therear side of the leg, but also stretches the material slightly tocorrespond with the stretching which the front side received by thebending of the knee of the wearer. Thus, when the garment is removedfrom the stretcher, it is in the shape shown in Fig. 2, which is thesame shape in which it left the tailors hands,'and therefore the samesnug fit is attained as when the garment was new.

When the garment is on the stretcher, the front side of the leg is notstretched, all the strain coming upon the rear side thereof, and toprevent the leg from creeping up on the curved bar or shrinking, I findit desirable to attach twosmall spring-clamps G G., of any ordinary orpreferred form, tothe bar A near its extremities. When these clamps areengaged with the leg of the trousers, they hold it firmly in positionand enable the stretching to be accomplished quickly and satisfactorily.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A trousers-stretcher having a spring-bar provided with laterally-adjustable end pieces, a brace connected to said spring-bar, and a flexibleband connected at its ends to the extremities of the end pieces,substantially as specified.

2. A trousers-stretcher having a spring-bar provided with laterally-adjustable end pieces, a brace connected at its ends to set-screws near theextremities of the spring-bar, one of said screws being adjustable, anda iiexible band connected at its ends to the extremities of the endpieces, substantially Vas and for the purpose specified.

3. In a trousers-stretcher, the combination, with a curved bar to fitand conform to the rear side of the leg of trousers and provided withlaterally-adjustable end pieces, of a fiexible band permanentlyconnected at one end to one end piece of the said bar and adjustablyconnected at the other end to the corresponding end piece of the bar,substantially as set forth.

4. In a trousers-stretcher, the combination, with a curved bar to fitthe rear side of the leg of trousers, of adjustable slides connected tothe extremities of said curved bar and adapted to fit in the upper andlower ends of the said leg, and a iiexible band affixed at its ends tothe said slides, substantially as specified.

5. A trousers-stretcher having a curved bar, adjustable slotted slidesattached to the ends oi' said bar and provided with thumbscrews to clamptheir members in the desired position, and a flexible band secured atone end to one of the slides and clamped at the other end by thethumb-screw on the other slide, substantially as specified.

IIO

6. A trousers-stretcher having a curved.-`

clamping-bar to engage the said band, subzo stantialiy as speoied.

In testimony whereof I aflx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES K. GARSON.

Witnesses:

S. SATTELE,

ALEX C. DUNCAN, Jr.

